Cane mill



Aug. 7, 1951 T. M. NALON CANE MILL Filed March 6, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 23 Zia :7 as

J2 2 i q l 0 O O W gwucnlon 7 m )nfiA n/ atto'nwup 7, 1951 T. M. NALON 2,563,690

CANE MILL Filed March 6, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 7, 195] T M, NALQN 2,563,690

CANE MILL Filed March 6, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 0 n. H 27 Z Ill '1'] ,-zz=, A7,

Aug. 7, 195] T. M. NALON CANE MILL Filed March 6, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I I l I I l Patented Aug. 7, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CANE MILL Thomas M. Nalon, Derby, Conn, assignor to Farrel-Birmingham Company, Inc., Ansonia, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application March 6, 1945, Serial No. 581,239

16 Claims. 1

This invention relates to cane mills, and has special reference to the means for mounting and applying hydraulic pressure to the top roll of a three-roller mill, although the invention is not limited to this particular application.

In a. three-roller mill. the problem of. maintai-ning. a proper pressure on the cane going through. the mill, through the use of hydraulic units acting on the. necks of the top roll, is complicated by the. triangular arrangement of the rolls which requires the top roll to cooperate with the. cane roll. or feed roll, and. also with the bagasse roll. As a result different. angular forces are setup against the top roll,,as the cane travels through the. mill. which tend to: tilt or tip the bearings. of. the top. roll in vertical planes extending lengthwise of. the mill. The problem is further complicated by the fact that, as the cane mass or blanket is very uneven, the ends of the top. roll are practically always at different elevations when the top roll is being properly held against. the upward pressure of the blanket. In other words, there is a tipping or tilting of the top roll. in a vertical plane directed transversely of the mill, which provides an additional problem in maintaining the desired. squeezing or extop roll is. free-floating, but the prior structures have all been open to various practical objections and do not provide in practice the results they are intended to produce.

One; of. the. objects. of the present invention is to. provide a. mill in which the hydraulic pres.- sure. is applied to the top roll necks in a manner which marks a substantial advance.

Another object is to eliminate undue friction between an hydraulic pressure member acting ina. downward direction and the member associated with the roll neck that receives the pressure of the hydraulic.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a cane mill em bodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on line 2-2 of Fig. 2, showing the mountings of. the top roll;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line. 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal. sectional view showing the top roll tilted in a vertical transverse plane relatively to the mill, the roll being broken away;

Fig... 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing the ram, the pressure member and the pressure distributing. plate;

Fig. 7 is an elevational view at right angle to Fi 6;

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view partly broken away, taken from the line 8--8 of- Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of an antiiriction roller retainer; and

Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view showing a modification of the structure.

While the invention is not. limited to. use in a three-roller mill, it is shown by way of example in connection with a three-roller sugar cane mill. In its general features the mill shown in the drawings is a typical three-roller mill having a feed roll or. cane roll, a top roll, and a bagasse roll, the top roll. having associated with the ends thereof downwardly acting plungers or rams of hydraulic pressure units of the usual or any preferred kind. The rolls. are mounted in housings, which may be. of. the usual or any preferred kind, those shown in the drawings being to a large extent of a well-known structure. The invention has to. do, among other things, with the provisions. for mounting the necks of the top roll in a manner such that they can be readily acted upon by the hydraulic units, and with the. provisions. for transmitting pressure between the. hydraulic rams and the necks of the top roll.

In the drawings, the housings of. the mill are indicated at III, the two. housings being substantially identical. In the housings are journaled the cane roll H, the top roll I2, and the bagasse roll 13. The rolls ll and. I3 are mounted in bearings l4 and I5, respectively, which are movable. longitudinally of the mill by means such as adjusting screws l6 and I! mounted in side caps l8 and IS. The provisions for mounting and exerting pressure on the top roll t2 are located' within recessed portions of. the housings beneath top caps. 20. The top roll I2 is provided with necks. 2|, 22. Each of these necks is acted upon by an hydraulic pressure device, generally indicated at 23, located in the upper part of the corresponding housing, and as the pressure devices acting. on the. two roll necks are identical or substantially so, a. description of one will suflice.

In the upper eoessed part of the housing Ill, beneath the top cap 20, is an hydraulic cylinder member 23 located in a part 24 of the top cap which can is rigidly secured in the housing. The hydraulic cylinder has at the upper end a head held. in position. in any suitable manner. Mounted in the lower end of the cylinder is a plunger or ram 26 having a downward extension 2'! adapted to project downwardly, in the manner shown in Figs. .3 and 4, out of an opening 26 provided at the lower end of the top cap structure. The ram extenison 2'! has a fiat lower face 29 adjacent a flat upper face of a pressure member 36 mounted for vertical movement relatively to the housing structure in the manner hereinafter described. The pressure member 36, acting through an anti-friction roller structure hereinafter described, is adapted to apply pressure to a distributor plate or member 3| superimposed on the upper bearing member 32 of the roll neck.

The bearing provided for the roll neck comprises the upper bearing member 32, just men'- tioned, and a lower bearing -member33. These bearing members 32 and 33 are accommodated in a recessed portion of the housing in the manner shown in Fig. 3. The member 33 is a substantially semi-tubular member of suitable bearing material, received in apartly cylindrical re cess 34 in the housing, and it receives the'lower portion of the roll neck. The bearing member 32 is made ofsuitable bearing material, and is in the form of a yoke so that it is adapted to conform to the upper-part of the roll neckfsaid member having fiat side faces 35 and 36, respectively,and beingreceived between opposing side Walls of the housing structure in the manner shown in Fig. 3. The side face 35 of the bearing member makes contact with the opposing face of the'housingl. At the other side of the bearing member, where the flat surface 36 is provided, a ladder bearing'fgenerally indicated at 31, is interposed between the bearing member and the housing wall. The ladder bearing 31 is an antifriction device serving'to facilitate vertical movement of the bearing member 32 and to take lateral thrust. and transit it to the housing. The housing wall which takes this lateral thrust is indicated at 36 in Fig. 3. The ladder bearing 31 may comprise a plate 353 fixed in position against the face 36, a plate 4}] placed in position against thewall 38, and an interposed plate 4| having rolling contact with the plates .39 and 4|). Preferably the plate 4|' has a number, of elongated apertures inwhichare received anti-friction rollers 42 having rolling contact with plates 39 and40. p V

The distributor plate 3|, previously men:- tioned, is a generally rectangular plate received betweenupstanding flanges 43 and 44 on upper bearing member 32, the flanges 43 and 44 being end flanges onthebearing member. At the sides the plate 3| may be positioned by the housing wall at one side and by the bearing plate 39 at the opposite side, in the manner'shown in Fig. 3. Around the upper "magma portion the plate is 'chamfered, a's show'n in Figs. 3 and 4, to provide a summitportion 45 which is flat and is recessed to receive and hold a small plate 46 of hardened steel. This hardened member 46 has a crowned top" surface 4 against which bears a roller 48 carried by the 'upper' pressure structure. The hardened member46 isa rectangular member'of less dimension transversely of the mill than 1ongitudinally'ther'e'of, andpthe roller 48 is disposed longitudinally of the mill. The convex curvature of the upper face of member 46 has as its center the center of the roll neck (Fig. 4). The center of the curve at the upper surface of member 46 lies in a plane midway of the height of the roll neck and, preferably, in a vertical plane midway of the length of the roll neck, and the upper part of member 46 presents a partly cylindrical surface of which the center or axis is lengthwise Of the mill.

The pressure roller 48, mentioned above, together with ancillary rollers, is carried by the pressure member 30 at the lower part of the latter, the arrangement being such that the lower part of roller 48 is left clear and exposed to make contact with member 46, whereas the remainder of the roller structure is enclosed. The roller 48 has in connection with it and in adjacency to its upper portion a number of smaller ancillary roll ers, and the lower part of member 36 is recessed to receive the several rollers, there being in association with member 36 suitable provisions for holding the several rollers in their operative po sitions. In the particular example shown, there are five ancillary rollers, these being indicated at 49, 50, 5|, 52 and 53, the same being received in a semi-tubular holder or liner 54 held in place in the lower recessed portion or socket of member 36. In connection with the small rollers 49, 50, 5|, 52, 53 is a retainer 55. Main roller 48 and the small rollers and also the retainer 55 are removably held in place in a suitable man ner as by the use of holding plates 56 and 57 applied to the lower face of member 36.

Retainer 55 preferably has the form shown in Fig. 9, the same embodying a frame presenting parallel side bars 58 and end arches 59. The small rollers 49, 56, 5|, 52, 53 are held in this frame against lengthwise dislocation. In the particular form shown'the small rollers are divided midway of their lengths so as to present separate sections, but this is not always necessary. The retainer 55 is supported from beneath in a resilient manner as by a number of coil springs 66 socketed in the plates 56 and 51 at suitable points, and in this manner the retainer is normally supported in a position such as shown in Fig. 6. The plates 56 and 51 are detachably applied to the lower face of member 36 by means such as screws 6|. These plates have portions that underlie the edges of the liner 54 so as to hold it firmly in its seat. The plates 56 and 51 have other portions at a lower level, in adjacency to the lower part of roller 48, that'act as retaining means for the roller 48, and it is these portions in which the coil springs 60 are socketed.

The bars 58 are normally supported at about the level of the axis of the roller.

The pressure member 36 is guided vertically by suitable guide means supported on the housing, and in the form shown this guide means comprises plate members bolted to the housing adjacent opposite ends of the pressure member 36 and extending parallel to roller-48. These plate members are indicated at 62 and their fastening bolts at 63. Each plate member has adjacent the ends thereof dependinglugs 64 recessed at 65 to provide corner guides engaging the corners of the member 30 and guiding it in its vertical movement. The assembly including the main roller 48, the ancillary rollers, and the liner 54, is held in position transversely of the mill structure by holding means which in this instance comprises vertical plates 66 that are fastened to opposite faces of member 30 by fastening bolts 61. The plates 66 preferably have their upper edges flush with the upper surface of member 30 and their lower edges flush withits lower surface.

The condition when no cane is passing through the mill is shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6. In Figs. 3 and 6, for example, the ram is shown at the lower limit of its. movement, and it.wi1l be noted that there is clearance 29 between the lower portion 21 of the ram 26 and the upperportion of pressure member 30, so that the pressure member escapee '30,nested rollers 48, 49, 50, "51, 52, 53, distributor plate 31, and upper'bearing member 32 are free of pressure from the hydraulic. clearance space 29 can be regulated and maintained uniform by the introduction of shims between the lowerportion 21 of ram 26 and the upper portion of pressure member 30, as the neck or jour nal 2| and lower bearing member 33 wear down during the cane grinding season. When cane is passing through the mill, the top roll and its necks are raised, each neckbeing'lifted withrespect to the lower bearing member. In a threeroller 'mill the front lower roll acts to a large degree as a feed roll, and there is considerably less pressure between it and the top roll than there isbetween the top roll and the bagasse roll. As a result, there is considerable lateral pressure on the top roll in the direction of the feeding end of the mill, and this is taken up by the antifriction thrust device t, 40, 4|, which takes thrust against the housing and facilitates vertical movement of the upper bearing member in its guideway in the housing. As 'theupper bearing member moves upwardly, the plate 38 applied to a side face of said bearing member rolls upwardly on the rollers 42, which rollers move in rolling contact with plate 40. Upward movement of the roll neck is, of course, resisted by the hydraulic rams, and the hydraulics exert sufficient pressure to give the cane the required squeezing pressure.

The cane blanket not only lacks uniformity in a longitudinal direction but also in a transverse direction. There is, therefore, a tendency for the top roll to be tipping or tilting constantly in a transverse vertical plane. 'Wh'en this occurs the condition may be as shown, for example, in Fig. 5, where the left-hand end of the roll is at a considerably higher elevation than the right-hand end. This view illustrates how the iroll tips independently of the lower bearing members or liners, which usually remain in their seats, and how the upper yoke-like bearing members swing with the necks, whereby the upper bearing members are tipped and also the distributor plates 3! carried thereby.

As the distributor plates are tipped the hydraulic pressure members 30, acting through the rollers 48, continue to exert effective pressure against the roll necks. moves upwardly from the horizontal position to a tipped position, there is a movement of plate or insert 16 generally toward the right with reference to Fig. 6. By its contact with the roller 48 the plate 46 moves the roller in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 6), and this roller, by its contact with the several associated small rollers, moves them in a clockwise direction so that they travel along the surface of liner 54 to a certain extent. The extent of the movement depends upon the extent to which the distributor plate is tipped. The limit of the movement is shown at the left of Fig. 5, where, it will be observed, the pressure member has come into contact with the top cap structure. It will be noted that with reference to Fig. 5 the small rollers have swung as a group to the left. This causes a tipping of the retainer 55 out of its normal position against the action of some of its supporting springs. It will. also be understood that, as the distributor plate swings back toward a lower position, the small anti-friction members and their retainer will move back toward the initial position of Fig. 6. l The roller 48, in the different tipped positions As the distributor plate of the distributor plate, makes contact with the plate along a transverse line. There is, therefore, no tendency for the pressure member 30 or :the hydraulic ram to bmdand a free movement of the ram element, as it may be termed, is "assured. It is important to note, moreover, that, notwithstanding the tipping of the distributor plate from the horizontal position, pressure continues to be exerted by the ram in the direction of the center of the roll neck. This is particularly true where, .as above described, the contact portion of the distributor plate is a partly cylindrical surface having its center at the center of the roll neck. As a result of this arrangement, direct pressure is exerted against the distributor plate in its various positions and there is not created a condition in which the plate and the associated roll neck are subjected to the hydraulic to a turning moment in a vertical plane transversely of'the mill. There is realized, therefore, a condition in which the hydraulic is free from canting or offset pressure reaction and the top roll is very free to have the movements required by the variations in the cane mat.

It is understood that one purpose served by the ancillary .rollers used in connection with roller 48 is to eliminate or greatly reduce the friction between said roller and the socket oi the ram element in which it is .held.

By the present invention the top roll is rendered more free-floating in its action than has been possible heretofore, and there is elimination or very large reduction. of turning moment imparted by th :ram element or other pressure element to the roll neck assembly. As there is no turning moment applied to the neck assembly in any of the various positions into which the neck is tilted, there is a notable absence of binding or jamming effect upon the hydraulic, and therefore the accumulator has a steady and uniform action instead of operating suddenly or jerkingly. Not only is there there elimination of friction between the ram element and. the distributor plate, but also between the roller member applying pressure and the member in which the roller is held.

Where the invention is used in a mill or the two-roller type, it will be understood that a device such as previously described for making lat eral thrust on the housing will be unnecessary.

In Fig. 10 there is shown a distributor plate 31 having a hardened insert 45 This insert has a flat upper surface rather than a crowned surface. The crowned surface, as previously described, is, however, considered preferable.

The described construction is by way of example only, and it will be manifest that various modifications and changes of organization and of details may be made without departing from th principles of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a cane mill, the combination of an hydraulic pressure element having a ram, a rectilinearly guided pressure member mounted beneath the ram to be acted on thereby, a distributor plate adapted to exert pressure on a neck bearing, and a roller socketed in the pressure member and making contact with the distributor plate, the socket for said roller having a semi-- tubular liner, and there being a plurality of small anti-friction rollers interposed between said roller and said liner.

2. In a cane mill, the combination of an hydraulic pressure element having a ram, a rectilinearly guided pressure member mounted beneath the rain to be acted'on thereby, a distributor plate adapted to exert pressure on a neck-bearing, a roller socketed in a liner within the pressure member and adapted to make contact with the distributor plate, ancillary rollers between said roller and the liner, and spring means acting on said ancillary rollers normally maintaining them in a predetermined position.

4. In a cane mill having a top roll with an upwardly movableneck and an upper bearing member associated with said neck, and having a vertically guided hydraulic pressure element above said bearing member for exerting downward pressure on said bearing member, a bear= ing portion at the upper part of said bearing member having an upper convex cylindrical sur face of which the center extends longitudinally of the mill, and an anti-friction roller mounted on and carried by said hydraulic pressure element and having its axis disposed longitudinally of the mill and fixed with respect to the pressure element, said roller bearing against and having rolling contact with said cylindrical surface.

5. In a cane mill having a top roll with an upwardly movable neck and an upper bearing member associated with said neck, and having a movable hydraulic pressure element'above said hearing member for exerting downward pressure on said bearing member, means of connection between said pressure. element and said bearing member including an anti-friction device provid= ing for a free tilting movement of the top roll in a vertical plane directed transversely to the mill, said anti-friction device comprising a pressure roller exerting downward pressure on the associated bearing member and also comprising a plurality of ancillary rollers associated with said pressure roller.

6. In a cane mill having a top roll with an upwardly movable neck and an upper bearing member associated with said neck, and having a vertically guided hydraulic pressure element above said bearing member for exerting downward pressure on said bearing member, a distributing plate between said element and said bearing member having an upper bearing surface, and a pressure roller mounted on the lower part of said pressure element having its axis fixed with respect to said element and disposed longitudinally of the mill and having rolling contact with said bearing surface transversely of the mill. i

7. In a cane mill having a top roll with an upwardly movable neck and an upper bearing member associated with said neck, and having a movable hydraulic pressure element above said bearing member for exerting downward pressure on said bearing member, a distributing plate between said element and said bearing member having an upper bearing surf ace, and a pressure roller mounted on the lower part of said pressure element having its axis disposed longitudinally of the mill and having rolling contact with said bearin surface and adapted to move across said surface transversely of the mill, said pressure roller being in a socket in the lower part of said pressure element and having. a plurality "of ancillary anti-friction members between it and the bottom of its socket.

8. In a cane mill having a top roll with an upwardly movable neck and an upper bearing member associated with said neck, and having a vertically guided hydraulic pressure element above said bearing member, a pressure-distributing plate between said pressure element and said bearing member, and a pressure member mounted in the lower part of said pressure element and held therein against translatory movement and having rolling contact with the distributor plate transversely of the mill whereby the top roll is permitted to tilt freely in a vertical direction. T

9. In a cane mill having a top roll with an upwardly movable neck and an upper bearing member associated with said neck, and having a vertically guided hydraulic pressure element above said bearing member for exerting downward pressure on said bearing member, a pressure-distributing plate between aid element and said bearing member having an upper convex cylindrical surface, and a roller socketed and having its axis fixed in said pressure element and making contact at its lower part with said cylindrical surface. 7

10. In a cane mill, the combination of a rectilinearly guided pressure element subject to hydraulic pressure, a distributor plate adapted to exert pressure on a neck bearing, a roller having a fixed axis and located in a socket in the pressure element and making contact with the distributor plate, a liner for said socket, and friction-reducing means between the roller and the liner.

11. In a cane mill, the combination of a rectilinearly guided pressure element subject to hydraulic pressure, a distributor plate adapted to exert pressure on a neck bearing, said pressure element having a socket therein adjacent said distributor plate and a liner in said socket, a roller in said socket making contact with the distributor plate, ancillary rollers between said first roller and the liner, and a spring-pressed cage or re.- tainer for said ancillary rollers.

12. In a cane mill, the combination of a rectilinearly guided pressure element subject to hydraulic pressure, a distributor plate adapted to exert pressure on a neck bearing, said pressure element having a socket therein adjacent said distributor plate, a roller in said socket making contact with said distributor plate, ancillary rollers backing up said first roller, a retainer for said ancillary rollers, and plates attached to said pressure element for holding in place said first roller, said ancillary rollers and said retainer.

13. In a cane mill, the combination of a vertically guided pressure member subject to hydraulic pressure, a pressure-distributing member below said pressure member adapted to exert downward pressure on an upwardly movable roll neck bearing, a pressure plate mounted on one of said members, a pressure roller recessed in the other member and making contact with the pressure plate, and means mounting said roller so that said roller has an axis of rotation fixed with respect to the last-mentioned member.

14. A structure as defined in claim 13, in which said mounting means includes antifriction means between the roller and the last-mentioned member.

15,- In a cane mill having a top roll with an upwardly movable neck and an upper bearing member associated with said neek'j'a pressure-distributing member attached to said bearing member and having an upwardly disposed convex face of arcuate shape, a vertically" guided hydraulic pressure element above said pressure-distributing member, and a friction-reducing pressure member mounted in the lower part of said pressure element so as to move therewith and having a lower convex face of arcuate shape engaging the arcuate face of said pressure-distributing member, said pressure-distributing member having its arcuate face movable in a lateral direction over the arcuate face of the pressure member whereby the top roll is permitted to tilt'ir'eely in a vertical direction.

16. A structure as defined in claim 15, in which the friction-reducing pressure member is a roller having its axis directed transversely of the mill.

, THGMAS M. NALON.

l0 nsrsnaucns 0mm UNITED STATES r A'rEN'rs Number Name Date 1,010,164 Maxwell Nov. 28, 1911 1,083,983 Bosse Jan. 13, 1914 1,762,292 George June 10, 1930 1,978,218 Nadler Oct. 23, 1934 2,318,601 Herrmann Nov. 29, 1938 2,345,437 'Tinker Mar. 28, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 15 Number Country Date 511,742 France Sept. 29, 1920 149,289 Great Britain July 21, 1921 

